Firelight in Rain
by Dreamicide
Summary: Kino and Hermes visit a town as it celebrates a certain festival.


**notes: **written as a birthday present for my good friend kaili!  
**i own nothing.**

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**Firelight in Rain**

_Once upon a time, there was a traveler. With her motorrad, she spent her life journeying across many different countries, speaking with the people and learning of their cultures and traditions. Some had technologies far advanced for their time. Others kept strictly to their traditions. But no matter how many countries she visited the traveler always left after three days, carrying on to the next town to explore like jumping over the pages of a book. But one wonders… could that have been what she was really doing all along? _

**Day One**

"Everyone looks very busy," was the first observation Hermes made about their surroundings.

Kino didn't respond, but she looked around. Keeping a steady grip on the handlebars of her motorrad, she led Hermes through the large wooden gate, being careful not to run into anybody. Many of the townsfolk bustled about, the men carrying lumber and the women doing their shopping. Children ran through the streets, all laughing and talking about costumes.

"Excuse me," Kino turned to a shopkeeper who didn't look quite as busy as the rest of the town. "Does this town have a place to stay? Preferably one with a shower."

"That we do, son," the man answered with a warm smile. He gave Kino directions over to the nearest inn, over near the center of town. "It'll be the best place for you to stay if you're going to be here long enough for the Fire Festival."

"The Fire Festival?"

"That's right." The shopkeeper crossed his arms. "You don't know about it?"

"I don't," Kino answered.

The man gave off an air of pride as he began to explain. "It's the tradition of Goldkrone! Every year the men gather lumber and arrange it for a bonfire in the center of town. People dress up in traditional clothing and dance around the fire for several hours once it's lit—the couple who dances the best wins a golden apple. They say the prize is a sign that they will be together forever."

"Romantic!" That time it was Hermes who piped in.

"It certainly is," the shopkeeper carried on, his attention diverted from the fact that it was a motorrad who spoke. "But it's not all about love and courtship. We use the bonfire to cook specialty meals from our town, and the children enjoy dressing up as well."

Kino offered a smile. "It sounds like a very interesting tradition. When is it?"

"Let me think… it should be the day after tomorrow."

"I see. Thank you for the information."

Kino left after that, walking through the cobblestone streets and towing Hermes by her side. She decided to find a place to eat before finding a room at the inn, and she glanced around at all of the shops and buildings during her search.

While many of the townspeople were cheerful and happy as they gathered lumber and finding articles of clothing for their costumes, Kino and Hermes heard quiet and dark mumbles as well, quick in passing.

"They say it will rain," came one whisper.

"Oh no, that'll ruin the whole celebration. Maybe we should try asking the sorcerer to help…"

"Are you joking? _He_ doesn't help anyone anymore, not even if they're dying," spat a voice that sounded like poison. "The town will be better off praying for good weather rather than turning to the likes of that traitor."

"Momma!" A small boy called out to a woman, waving an arm before pointing to the sky. "It looks so cloudy! Will the weather be this bad on the day of the festival?"

His mother bent down and picked him up, propping him to sit on her hip. "I don't know, darling. Some people might try to ask the sorcerer to make it sunny, but he doesn't help people anymore."

"I don't want it to rain on the bonfire!"

As the day went on, Kino heard more voices whispering about a mysterious 'sorcerer.' All of them sounded either antagonistic or bittersweet, musing over the great sorcerer who one day decided to never assist the town again.

"I wonder if this one can fly too," Hermes said in a tone that wasn't entirely serious.

Kino pulled him up to a quaint little restaurant over by some forest area, the sign reading 'Ebine.'

"That was a wizard, Hermes."

"There's no difference at all!"

Smiling, Kino pulled him up the short staircase, step by step. The inside of the restaurant was decently filled, not overcrowded, but she decided to sit down at one of the tables on the patio. Leaving Hermes propped up, she sat down and ordered a dish of lamb.

Half an hour later the owner of the restaurant struck a conversation with her.

"Did you enjoy your meal?" Ebine asked with a wide smile. She gathered Kino's plate and silverware, waiting for a response.

"It was very good. Thank you," she said, and offered a small smile of her own.

"Are you a traveler? I've never seen you in the town before."

"Mm."

"How wonderful! You must have come for the Fire Festival. The shadows of dancers surrounded by the glow of fire is a beautiful sight!" The woman spread her arms out in enthusiasm.

Kino took a sip of her water before placing it back down, turning to Ebine. "May I ask a question?"

"Of course, dear."

Her expression made little change as she spoke, reflecting on the words she overheard throughout the day. "I've heard people talking about a sorcerer that lives here who betrayed the town. What is it he did?"

Ebine's face fell slightly, but her smile remained in place. She was quiet for a moment, her eyes revealing being in a state of deep thought. Then she met Kino's eyes again. "Traveler," she began, her voice a bit bittersweet, "I am a cook, not a storyteller. But would you like to hear a story about this town?"

Kino nodded. "Yes, please."

Ebine placed the dishes to the side and folded her hands above her apron. "It's been several years," she mused almost dreamily. "Nobody outside the town believed us until they experienced it for themselves. Different countries have various superstitions about what brings luck and what brings misfortune, yes? For Goldkrone, it was a duck that brought happiness."

"A _duck_? That's silly!" Hermes piped up.

His response was met with a hearty laugh. "That's what many people believed! Until they saw it with their own eyes, at least. Yes, whenever someone encountered that one special duck, they were almost immediately met with good fortune. An orphan spotted it while scavenging for food at the lake and was adopted by a family less than a day later. A desperate butcher caught it but spared its life, and the livestock of the town grew healthy again and fit to eat. I, myself, fed the duck some bread once when it was wandering around the restaurant. Ever since then, the business has been booming and I talk with many people every day."

"That sounds wonderful."

"Isn't it! But," again her face relaxed, "once people figured out their good fortune was related to the bird, they began to purposefully search for it. Many ducks were captured, but people figured out quickly they weren't the right ones. Eventually they caught it after many months of searching… and it turned out that the duck was a medium!"

"Medium?"

"A medium to the sorcerer! He appeared and demanded for the hen to be released. What he wrote on those parchments, nobody knows—spells, perhaps. But those were the _real_ keys to good luck. When that made it out into the open, no one cared about the duck anymore. They knew where the source of happiness came from, so they began to follow him. Day after day, week after week, greedy people would approach the sorcerer and ask for money. They would ask for a long life. Some even requested misfortune for their rivals. But the sorcerer only fulfilled the requests of townspeople he deemed suitable, which angered a number of citizens. Because of this, they attempted to capture the duck and eat it, because if the bird brought good luck then surely its flesh would bring fortune as well, as the sorcerer's medium. They didn't succeed, of course, but it angered the sorcerer so much that he declared he would no longer help anyone in Goldkrone at all and secluded to his cottage. He's stayed there ever since, only him and that duck of his. Sometimes we may see him in town, but he's never here long before going right back into isolation. I assume if anyone talks about him, it is because they're angry he doesn't bring fortune to the town anymore."

Kino stayed attentive throughout the story, and then gave a curt nod. "That's what it sounded like."

Ebine gathered the plate again and sighed. "Oh dear, I'm sorry for bringing such a dreadful story into this. I hope it hasn't put a damper on your visit to the town."

"Not at all."

They found the inn easily sometime later. Kino left Hermes propped up on his kickstand while she changed. Gazing out the window, she wiped down her Persuader. The town was much quieter at night.

"Say, Kino. Are you going to see the sorcerer tomorrow?"

"What for?"

It was amazing how much expression a motorrad could achieve. "To ask for good fortune!"

"No."

"You don't have anything to ask for at all?"

Kino shrugged. "Mmm… maybe some more tasty food."

**Day Two**

The town was busier than ever with the festival looming overhead. The structure for the bonfire was already being built with logs of lumber arranged in a square tower.

"A torch will be thrown through that hole there," one villager explained. "Then the fire will spread and that's when the dancing begins. Do you plan on participating?"

Kino gave a sheepish smile. "No, I'm really not a dancer."

Small shops and food stands were set up, selling specialty souvenirs and traditional food originating from Goldkrone. Kino ate sausage and had some tea, played a music box, watched a man assembling cuckoo clocks, listened as members of the orchestra arrived to town and tuned their instruments, and politely turned down a woman who offered to measure her sizes and sew a dancing outfit for her.

By the late afternoon, the town still retained its bustling energy. Kino, however, took Hermes and outlined Goldkrone by the walls. She could still hear the rumble of voices and cheers, so they moved off just a bit further for a few moments of quiet.

Eventually the trees parted to reveal a quaint lake, the water motionless and cattails lining the shores. Kino propped Hermes up and sat down in the grass over by the dock. It felt much nicer to sit on the soft earth, rather than hard wood. And neither could hear Goldkrone anymore, making it a suitable place for a minute of complete silence.

"Quack."

Almost complete silence.

Kino blinked and then sat up. In the next moment she spotted a full grown white duck floating in the middle of the lake. She wasn't quite sure how she managed to miss it the first time. But the hen appeared tame as it swam toward them, its blue eyes full of curiosity.

Giving a friendly smile, Kino reached out and patted the top of the duck's head once it was close enough. That seemed to please it tremendously judging by its subsequent quack and leaning its head more toward her hand.

Then they heard more far off distant calls—Kino glanced up to the sky to see a flock of ducks flying overhead. South, for the coming winter.

"They say one is filled with the desire to travel when they see birds in the sky," Kino mused aloud. Then she turned back to look down at the duck, still petting it. "But you seem very content to just stay right here."

"Get away from her."

The new voice was sudden and cut through the air like a knife. Kino turned her head to see a man standing several feet away. His green eyes glared sharply, and the lines creasing his face hinted that it was rare for him to show any other expression.

Kino obeyed the order, standing up without any visible change in expression.

The man immediately brushed her aside to stride over and bend down to pick up the white duck. She then noticed that his right arm was fitted in a brace, with the sleeve of his shirt rolled up to expose it.

With the hen nestled in his arms, the man turned back to address Kino, and spoke again. "If you're new around here as you appear to be, I will only tell you this once: I do not help _anyone_. Loitering around here is a waste of time."

"Ah! You must be the sorcerer!" said Hermes in a light tone.

The man did a double-take at that, his eyes blinking owlishly as he stared at Hermes while taking a step back. It was obvious he was caught off guard. "What the hell is _that_?"

"'_That_?'" Hermes sputtered with indignation. "Such rudeness!"

"His name is Hermes. He's a motorrad," Kino answered simply.

The man didn't look satisfied with that answer. "I can _see_ that, but _what_—" He paused to grumble, before murmuring quietly to himself. "Nevermind. I suppose I've seen stranger things."

"Quack!" said the duck.

Kino glanced at the hen in his arms, before looking back up to the man. "May I ask a question?"

The man frowned. "Not if it's something you want to wish for."

It wasn't, so Kino went ahead. "It's true that you're the sorcerer, then?"

This time he paused. The duck turned to look up at him, shifting in his arms and appearing to be waiting for his answer. Finally, he spoke. "That's just what the town calls me. I don't associate myself with ridiculous titles like that."

"Then what happened—"

"_Everything else_ they say, however, is true." With that he renewed his hard glare, and almost subconsciously his hold on the duck tightened in a secure protection. "I don't give a damn what your or anyone else's situation is. I help _no one_. So you might as well get lost," he added before turning to the side.

He would have made his way back to the cottage in the distance if it weren't for the small, protesting "quack" the duck made. The next scene was rather curious as his eyes fell to the bird's and he furrowed his brows.

"No."

"Quack!"

"Don't be stupid."

"Qua-qua-_quack_."

"I _said_—hey!" The man flinched as the duck began flapping its wings at his face, holding it outstretched at an arm's length as he grit his teeth. After a few moments of struggling the bird managed to flap its way out of his arms, clumsily sprawling to the ground before recollecting itself. Throwing the man an expression that Kino could only describe as defiance, it waddled back over to her and Hermes.

This must be a country of expressive animals.

With triumph, it plopped itself down by Kino's feet. Several feet away, the man swatted the feathers away from his face with a growl. He shot a look at the duck, to which it then returned.

"_Fine_," he spat. "But I'm staying. Like hell I'd leave a moron like you wandering around alone again."

For some reason it only then appeared that he finally realized there was an audience. He tightened his jaw and closed his eyes, running a hand through his hair before crossing his arms.

"…It's just been a while since she's visited with people," he explained begrudgingly. "Even though there's no one left to trust." The last words were shot out, more to the duck than to Kino.

Kino smiled down at the duck, and felt safe enough to reach out and pat its head. The man's fingers tensed on his arms as he watched, always alert. Ignoring his caution, the bird nuzzled into Kino's palm, causing her eyes to soften.

"Is that duck really a medium?" Hermes asked curiously.

"That's none of your concern if you're not here to wish," the man snapped back, forcing himself to overlook the fact that he was conversing with a vehicle.

The duck's eyes fell.

Several moments passed that were quiet and still, with Kino patting the hen's head gently as she gazed out over the lake.

And then, the man broke the silence yet again, but his voice was much quieter than the first time. "I'm surprised you're not here to try to convince me otherwise."

Kino shrugged. "I didn't intend to search you out."

"You'd be the first," he grunted. "That's all anyone comes around here for. I'd leave if I could."

"Why don't you?" asked Hermes.

The man's eyes trailed over the water. "I can't abandon this town, after everything."

This time it was Kino that felt a little curious, as she turned to look at him. "May I ask a question?"

"I don't care."

"Is that your own wish or a wish that belongs to someone else?"

A moment of silence passed, and then he shot a look at her. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"You don't grant any wishes at all, and that includes your own, or does someone wish for you to stay here?" Kino gave a small smile. "That sounds confusing, doesn't it."

"Tch." The man ran a hand through his hair. "That doesn't make any sense."

"Quack!" The duck stroked its head against Kino's hand, tail feathers wagging about. Neither noticed the man began to stare at the bird in consideration.

And neither spoke much more after that.

Kino and Hermes spent a few more minutes relaxing at the lake, before standing up and bidding their farewells to the man and the duck. The bird seemed saddened with their leave, knowing it wouldn't have a chance to visit with people again for a long time.

**Day Three**

It rained.

Water poured from the sky since the early morning, coating all of the buildings and shops and forcing the townspeople to walk about with coats and umbrellas protecting their heads. Kino couldn't see the pretty dresses the women wore underneath their jackets, and the scent of cooked food was smothered underneath the heavy downpour.

Kino checked out of the hotel that morning and led Hermes out the town just as the citizens all decided to celebrate anyway and torched the bonfire alight. It managed to survive through the rain, bringing a large light to the gloomy town as partners danced away, their swinging hair drenched as they laughed.

As they made their way outside the city walls, Kino's eyes caught the small cottage over by the lake. The man stood next to the duck, his hands occupied with parchment. And a miraculous thing happened in that next moment.

A light encompassed the bird and it grew, shaping and molding into a new form. It turned into a woman before his eyes, naked with long flowing hair like a curtain behind her back.

And from the long distance away Kino could see that man smile and take her hand. Using the firelight refracted in raindrops to see they guided each other in a dance. Even as the woman remained naked they danced away to their own rhythm, ignoring the celebrations of the distant town.

From far away Kino blinked. So he really was a sorcerer, after all.

"Why did you stop, Kino?" Hermes piped up, a little impatient. "What are you looking at?"

Shrugging, Kino turned around. "Nothing, Hermes. Let's keep going."

**End**


End file.
